Endless link track.



W. TURNBULL.

ENDLESS LINK TRACK.

APPLICATION FILED DEC.'I. 191s.

1,Q8%,3265 Patented Oct. 22, 1918, 2 SHEETS$HEET I.

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INVENTOR WEZZZ'QMI FEW/762a syly w dzwzdmd WITNESSES:

W. TURNBULL.

ENDLESS LINK TRACK.

APPL|CAT|OP J FILED DEC.7\ 1916. I Lggg ggfig Patented @ct. 1918.

2.SHEETS-SHEET 2.

' J amen snares PATENT onnroa.

WILLIAM TURNBULL, F STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOLT MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

ENDLESS LINK TRACK.

Application filed December 7, 1916. Serial No. 135,543.

Y To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I,-WILLIAM TURNBULL,

a citizen of the United States, residing at' Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State of California have invented new and useful Improvements in Endless Link Tracks, of which the following is a" specification. v

arrange forthe reversibility of the journal.

pins employed therein connecting the adjacent link sections together. Ordinarily these flexible endless tracks are composed of steel links connected by case-hardenedsteel space blocks and case-hardened steel pivot pins. Inasmuch as these machines are subjected to very heavy wear, the tracks often being submerged in grit and water, there is naturally considerable wear on the pivot pins, Heretofore, it has not been possible to reverse them owing to the mannenin which it has been necessary to set them 1n place. In the present construction each journal pin has an elongated or L-head on one end and receives a cotter pin at the other end to hold it in A keeper, in the form of notches or recesses, has been provided on one side of the link for the cotter pin and a keeper, in

the form of slots or guides, has been provided on the opposite side of the link for the head. The cotter pin must be arranged approximately parallel with ,the link to permit ready insertion and removal without obstruction. Formerly, the keeper for the head was directed in a plane parallel with the link, and being opened at one end prevented the formation 'of suitable notches or recesses for the cotter pin, so that both keepers'could not be formed on the same si le of the link, whereby to secure reversibi lity of the journal pin.

The present construction provides a special-arrangement of keepers for both the head and cotter pin to be located on both exterior sides of the link, whereby the jour- .the wear thereon.

rial pin may be reversibly used to distribute Another feature of the links, not only directly over the'articulating edges of the'tread plates, but actually taking up and supporting and reinforcing at the Specification of Letters Patent.

invention is the i disposition of the pivotal, connections of the Patented Oct. 22, 11918..

rear said tread plates at their edges, but arranging the grousers or cross traction ribs on the tread plates so that they come directly under the pivots and receive the maximum links embodying my invention.

- Fig. 3 shows a plan View of the same.

Fig. 4 shows a sectional view on the line HofFigQ.

Fig. 5 shows. a sectional view on the line 55 of Fig; 3.

Fig. 6 shows a slightly modified form of link constructionin vertical section.

Fig. 7 showsa perspective view of the journal pin employedfor connecting adjacent links together.

. Fig. '8 is a side elevation showing themvention applied. 7 v

The endless chain track, as is well-known, is made up of a series of articulated link sections, and in the accompanying drawing I show a link section comprising, generally spaced webs or side bars 10 and a shoe 11, the two being preferably, of cast construction and formed integral. The webs or bars 10 aremade to diverge slightly and each has an upper flange 12 to form rail heads to receive and support the roller truck mecha nism a of the tractor or other vehicle. The

side bars, at their wider ends, are recessed on their inner sides, as shown at 13, and at their narrow ends the-y are recessed at their outer sides, as shown at 14, whereby to'form respective male and female ends for. the'adjacent links. I

The narrow or embraced ends are pro.-

vided-with comparatively large,. circular 'cally opposite notches and dirt which elongated the flanges 12, in connectionwith the over lapped ends of adjacent links, form a comparativelywide and even track surface for the roller truck mechanism. The side bars are preferably provided with openings 19 in their body portions for the escape of mud will be forced out by-the teeth of the drlving sprocket-wheel in use.

Each journal pin 18 has on one end an L or head 20 adapted to enter a slot or guide onthe link to prevent turning of the pin, and on the opposite end of the journal pin 18 is a cotter pin 21 for holding the pin in place, and a suitable keeper must be formed upon the adjacent side of the link to retain the cotter pin in place. I provide keepers for both the cotter pin and the head on both exterior sides of the link, so that the pin mav be reversed to distribute the wear evenly thereon, as will hereinafter be described.

The shoe 11 is usually made concave and is provided with transverse corrugations or grousers 22 at suitable intervals, one of such corrugations being shown in the forms illustrated in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, and two cor.- rugations being shown in the modified form illustrated in Fig. .6. adjacent to the embracing end of the link formed with an arcuate portion 23, struck from the axis of the journal box and is notchedat 2% to receive the overlapping ends of the adjacent link, the end of the ad: jacent shoe underlying the curved portion 23. Therefore, there is no opening between adjacent links and the parts are free to fiex in passing around the sprocket-wheels.

Arranged in the angle between the ex terior side of each bar 10 and the outwardly projecting shoe 11, adjacent to the journal box 17, are vertically spaced lugs 25 forming a guide or slot to receive the journal pin. Also on the exterior side of each bar and surrounding'the journal box 17 is a circular protuberance 26 form ing in effect a part of the journal'b0x,'the edges of which are provided with diametrior recesses 27 on a horizontal line to receive the bent ends 28 of the cotter pin. Thus a keeper for the head and a separate one; for the cotter pin are arranged on the same side of each bar without interference, and the journal pin may be inserted from either side with equal facility. I It will also be noticed that in arranging these keepers I have provided for the proper disposition of the cotter pin on a line parallel with the link, whereby the insertion and removal of the same will be facilitated.

By casting the track shoe tions in one piece the lugs 25 by which the L-head'is held in place, may be formed directly on and in the track shoe rather than on the track rails, thereby giving a larger and rail see- The shoe has its end the head 20 of' bearing surface to the pins than is the case pin heads project outside and consequently are more easily accessible. It is understood that the two sides of the track section and linksare symmetrical so that when a pin is worn on one side it can be taken outand inserted from the other side of the track, thus giving double the life to a track pin and allowing slack in the track chain tobe taken up.

An additional feature of the link construction herein shown, particularly in the preferred forms of Figs. 1 to 5, is that. the cor.- rugations or grousers 22 are placed at the ends of the links directly under and supported by the heavy ends 'of the track rail webs 10, with the outside grouser of one track link forming awipe joint with the inside arcuate end 23 of the succeeding link. In short, each of these links are made at the male end of the link with a grouser whose inner surface is concentric with the pivotal axisimmediately thereabove, and is joined to and integral with the adjacent end of the web memberslO. The opposite end of the link has a concentric arcuate portion 23 also concentric with the pivotal axis at that end of the link, and'it' functions with the inside concavity of the grouser; the cut-out portions 24 clearing the narrowed ends of the adjoining link.

The overlapping concentric ends of two adjacent shoes thus have a wiping joint which excludes dirt from entering upward between the shoes.

The advantage of this construction is that it brings a grouser beneath every articulation or pivot so that when a wheel passes over a pivot the tendency of two links to jack knife is resisted, whereas, if the grouser was put in the middle of the link,-1nidvvay between the pivots, there would'be a continual teetering of the link on its grousers as the truck rollers passed along over the chain.

By this construction a maximum. of support is offered against the tendency of the shoes to bend inwardly or buckle along their transverse edges.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention as disclosed in the appended Claims. I X

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Pat'- ent is 1. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections each comprising spaced sidebars. journal pins extended through openings in the side bars for pivotally connecting the adjacent links, an elongated head on one end of the pin. and a removable fasteningmeans on the other end,

whereby the journal and keepers for the head and fastening means on the exterior sides of both bars, pin may be reversed to distribute the wear. I

2. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections each comprising spaced side bars,jou.rnal pins extended through openings in-the side bars for pivotally connecting adjacent links together, an elongated head on one end of the pin and a cotter pin on the other end, and keepers for the head and cotter pin. on the exterior sides of both bars, whereby the journal pin may be reversed to distribute the wear.

3. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections each' com- Q prising'spaced side bars, journal pins extended through openings in the side bars for pivotally connecting adjacent links together,

and an elongated head on one end of the pin and a cotter pin on the other end, one of said side bars being provided with a vertically disposed guide slot on its exteriorto receive the head of the pin and the other side bar being provided on its exterior with a horizontally disposed recess to receive the cotter pin.

4. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections, each comprising spaced side bars, journal pin'slextended through openings inthe side bars for pivotally connecting adjacent links together, and an elongated head on one end of the pin and a cotter pin on the other end, said side bars being each provided on its exterior with a vertical guide slot formed at the lower portion ofthe journal box to receive the head of the journal pin and with a recess on a horizontal line to receive the cotter pin.

;5. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections, each comprising cast side bars and ashoe-integrally formed, a journal pin extending through openings in the side bars'f'or pivotally connecting adjacent links together, an elonT gated head on one end of thepin and a cotter pin on the other end and a guide slot formed at the lower portion of the journal box to receive the head of the journal pin.

6. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections, each comprising cast side bars anda shoe integrally formed, a journal pin for connecting adjacent links together, said pin having an elon-' gated head on one end and a cotter, pin on the other, andjournal boxes in the ends of V the side bars to receive said pin, said boxes each being provided on its exterior side with horizontally disposed recesses to receive the cotter pin and with a vertically disposed guide slot to receive the elongated head on the journal pin. I

7. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections, each commeans on the exterior sides of both bars to receive and retain said cotter pin, and ver tically spaced lugs arranged in the angle between the exterior of each side bar and the projecting shoe to receive the elongated head of the journal pin.

8. An endless chain track made up of a series of articulated link sections, each com prising cast metal side bars and a shoe formed integrally therewith, ,a" journal pin for connecting adjacent links together, said pin having an elongated head on one end and a cotter pin on the other end, journal boxes in the side bars to receive said pin, said journal boxes being each formed with a circular projection on the exterior sides of the links, said circular projection being provided with diametrically opposite notches in its edges along a horizontal line to receive the bent ends of the cotter pin, and means below and on the exterior side of each j our- I chain tracks,

rail web portions cast integral therewith, rail heads formed on said webs, the webs at one end being perforated to receive a hollow bushing which is fixed therein, the opposite end of the link having perforations to receive a pivot pin to pass through a'bushing on a corresponding link, said pivot pinhaving an L-head fitting vertical stops on the shoe, and cotter pin'locking means on the sides ofthe webs. v

10. A link seption for endless chain tracks,

comprising a tread'plate with upstanding 'rail web portions cast integral therewith,

rail heads formed on said webs, the webs at one end being perforated to receive a hollow bushing which is fixed therein, the opposite end of the link having perforations to receive a pivot pin to pass through a bushing on a corresponding link, said pivot pin having an L-head fitting vertical stops on the shoe, and cotter pin locking means on the sides ofthe webs,,the two sides of the link adjacent to the rails being symmetrical to permit the pivot pins to be reversed.

11. A track link comprising a. shoe portion and a pair of upstanding rail members A thereon which are perforated to receive a pivot pin, said pivot pin having an Lhead and a pair of upstanding lugs formed on the track shoe to embrace the lL-head.

12. A track link comprising a shoe mem her, a pair of upstanding rail members thereon, said shoe having a concavo-convex end portion transverse to the rail members andforming a grouser, a second link pivsecond link having a concavo-convex last-mentioned oted to the rail members of the first link with the articulation of the two links conthe shoe of the edge which overlaps and is concentric with the said grouser on the inside thereof, the said concavo-convex edge. being slotted to clear the ends of the rail members on the first link, said rail ends offering a recentric with said grouser,

sistanoe to the inward bending of'the shoes 10 at the point of articulation of the links.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing v witnesses.

' WILLIAM TURNBULL. Witnesses:

FRANK H. CHISHOLM, W. P. FERGUSSON. 

